3 Little Verses

He was a man after God’s own heart. The slayer of giants. Musician. Poet. As a young lad, he defended his flock from bears and lions. He was a warrior, leader, and king. But his legacy is tainted by three little verses …

In the spring of the year, the time when kings go out to battle, David sent Joab, … But David remained at Jerusalem. It happened, late one afternoon, when David arose from his couch and was walking on the roof of the king’s house, that he saw from the roof a woman bathing; and the woman was very beautiful. And David sent and inquired about the woman. And one said, “Is not this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?” (2 Sam 11.1-3)

This one moment, this turning point in his life, this tiny sliver of time in the whole journey of life, changed everything. He neglected his duty as King. He made a bad decision. He stumbled. And lives were impacted. A marriage destroyed. Lives were lost.

If you’re like me, we don’t have just one little three verse catastrophic decision. We make multiple bad choices. We neglect our duty, let our guard down, and well, become stupid. And around the board we go again. And again.

For David, God wasn’t done with him yet. It took a strong willed prophet to confront him to his face. But more than that, it took humility, repentance, and the grace of God

Sometimes it takes a person in my face too. Sometimes it takes a nasty stumble. And in every instance, it takes repentance and a whole lot of grace – and God’s got a whole lot of grace. And God’s not done with me – or with you yet either. Don’t let one bad choice let you miss out on all that God has for you. If you’re still breathing, God is not done with you yet either.

But let me give one other piece of insight. Other than correcting the times of erring, we would be better off by preventing the times of stumbling in the first place. Put safeguards in place. Be honest and wise about what stumbling blocks you have. Take actions to prevent the temptations in the first place. Guardrails – Hedges – A System to Protect.

Why would you battle a temptation in the future that you have the power to eliminate today.

… Craig Groeschel

Don’t be defined by three little verses – Our God is bigger than that. He was with David, and He is with you too. He restores our joy. He forgives our transgressions. He creates clean hearts. He restores our soul. And I rejoice. You can too.